Paper-box-topping machine.



S. T. HOBBS.

PAPER BOX TOPPING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULYZ'I, 1912.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

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SAMUEL T. HOBBS, 0F WORCESTER, MASSAQHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR '10 HOBBS MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, CHUSETTS.

MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- PAPER-BOX-TOPPING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 19115..

Application filed July 27, 1912. Serial No. 711,790.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, SAMUEL T. HOBBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at l/Vorcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Paper-Box-Topping Machines, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same.

My present invention relates to that class of machines lmown as topping machines which are designed to apply a covering strip to the top side of the covers of paper boxes, and it has for its objects to provide means for preventing the curling or warping of the paper strip; to provide means for securing one end of the covering strip in proper position upon the box cover, and also to provide means to enable the operator to more conveniently control the operation of the machine and at the same time facilitate the manipulation of the covering strip. These objects, among others, it accomplish by the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described, the novel fea tures being set forth in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved topping machine shown in vertical sectional view. Fig. 2 is a top view of the supporting table on which the box cover is held, and showing in plan view a portion of the mechanism by which the attendant may control the operation of the machine.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the different views.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 denotes one side of the upright supporting framework mounted with a similar side, removed in sectional view, upon a base plate 2. The sides of the machine, of which one is shown at 1, Fig. 1, are connected together by the base plate 2, girth 3, and connecting rod 4, 4:- The side of the framework which is removed in the sectional view shown in Fig. 1 is a duplicate of the side 1, therein represented and is provided with similar bearings for the rotating parts of the mechanism. Suitably supported between the sides of the framework is a gum box 5 supporting a gum roll 6 which turns partially immersed in the gum contained in the gum box. Supported upon the framework is a coil of paper 7 from which the covering strip 8 is supplied. The covering strip is of the gum roll 6 Mounted upon the sides of the framework is a palr of parallel vertical rods, one of which is shown at 10, Fig. 1. Said rods are slidable in vided with teeth 13, forming racks which are engaged by pinions 14 attached to the shaft llcapable of being rotated by the attendant by means of crank handles 15.

he pinions 14 are held from reverse movement by means of retaining pawls 16. Adustable upon the rods is a frame 17 car rying a pair of rolls 18 and 19 for the purpose hereinafter described.

Journaled in the frame 17 is a shaft 20 carrying pinlons engaging each of the rods 19, one of said pinions being shown at 21 Fig. 1. The shaft 20 is rotated by the attendant by means of a crank handle 22 and is held from reverse movement by a retaining pawl 23. By the rotation of the shaft 20 the pinions are. caused to travel up or down the rods 10 according to the direction in which the shaft is rotated. Mounted upon the top of the rods 10 is a roll 24 and supported by the framework near the base of the rods 10 is a roll 25. In front of the roll 2;? are shear blades 26, 27, carried upon swinging arms 28, 29. e covering strip 8 is conducted from the rod 9 past the roll and the roll 18 over the roll 24 and downward past the roll 19, beneath the roll 25 and between the shear blades 26 and 27 into position to be applied to the top of a box, indicated by the broken lines 31, and supported upon a table 32.

The table 32 is provided upon two of its sides with raised ribs 33 and 34. Attached to the table 32 is a plate 35 provided upon two of its sides with ribs 36 and 37. Between the ribs 33 and 36 and 341 and 37 a space is left suiiicient to receive the side and end of a box cover, said ribs serving as gages to locate the box covering in proper registration with the covering strip.

Journaled at the base of the framework is a driving shaft 38 carrying a cam 39 which actuates a lever 40, provided with a cam roll 4.1 which is held against the periphery of the cam 39 by a spiral spring 42. The lever 40 is connected by a link 43 with the swinging arms 28 and 29 in the usual manner in ways 11 and 12 and are procutting mechanisms of this class, by which the shear blades are simultaneously swung together to sever the covering strip by the rotation of the shaft 38. The shaft 38 is driven by a friction clutch mechanism of the type commonly used in machines of this class but not herein shown in detail, and is held from rotation by means of a retaining lever 44 engaging a stop 45. The retaining lever 44 is rocked at the proper period by the attendant to allow the clutching mechanism to rotate the shaft 38 a single revolution for the purpose of severing the covering strip. The release of the retaining lever 44 is accomplished by means of a link 46 pivotally connecting the lever 44 with a radial arm 47 on a horizontal shaft 48 journaled in bearings at the side of the table 82. Attached to the shaft 48 is a plate 49 adapted to be depressed by the arm of the attendant for the purpose of rocking the shaft 48 and releasing the retaining lever 44.

In the operation of the machine the rods 10 are vertically adjusted in order to vary the length of the covering strip between the rolls 25 and 80, for the purpose of allowing suflicient time toelapse between the application of the gum by the roll 6 to the side of the paper, and the application of the gummed paper to the boX to allow the adhesive material to become set or tempered. This adjustment is accomplished by means of the crank handle 15 rotating the pinions 14 carried upon the shaft 14. When the rods 10 have been vertically adjusted to secure the desired length of covering strip between the rolls 25 and 80, the frame 17 is adjusted upon the rods in the manner already described in order to bring the rolls 18 and 19 in proper position to separate the ascending and descending portions of the covering strip, thereby preventing them from coming into contact which would cause them to adhere as the gummed sides of the strip are opposed to each other as they pass the rolls 18 and 19. During the drying or setting of the adhesive material as the paper is carried over the roll 24 the paper is inclined to curl or warp owing to the moisture of the fibers upon one side of the paper. In order to prevent the curling or warping of the paper its gummed side is carried in contact with the rolls 18 and 19 which causes an adhesion of the edges of the strip to the rolls 18 and 19. WVhen a boX cover has been placed in position on the table 32, as indicated by the broken lines 31, the covering strip is drawn forward until its advancing end is brought nearly to the end of the box cover to which it is attached by the attendant. During the operation of attaching the end of the covering strip to the cover of the box the cutting mechanism is actuated by the release of the retaining lever 44 accomplished by the depression of the plate 49 by the arm of the attendant. The swinging shear blades 26 and 27 are arranged to sever the covering strip at the proper length to be applied to the boX cover. The swinging arm- 28 carrying the shear blade 26 is also provided with an elastic pad 50 carried by the arm 28 in position to contact with the end of the covering strip and press it against the box cover, holding it in proper relation to the end of the box cover and preventing it from being drawn back by the elasticity of the covering strip.

I claim,

1. In a machine of the class described, means for gumming the topping strip, means for severing a gummed strip, and means for forming a loop in the gummed strip between he gumming and severing mechanism, said loop forming means comprising a vertical framework, a roll carried at the top of said framework, and rolls at the base of and on opposite sides of said framework, whereby the sides of the looped strip are brought substantially parallel and contiguous to each other and intermediate rolls between said top and base rolls to contact with the gummed surfaces of the sides of said loop to separate them and prevent their curling.

2. In a machine of the class described, means for gumming a covering strip, means for forming a loop in the covering strip comprising a vertically movable framework, a roll carried at the top of said framework. rolls held in fixed positions at the base of said framework, whereby a loop is formed with its sides substantially parallel and contiguous to each other, rolls between said top and base rolls to contact with the gummed surfaces of the sides of said loop to separate them and prevent their curling, and means for raising and lowering said framework.

3. In a machine of the class described, means for gumming a covering strip, means for severing the gummed strip, means between the gumming and severing mechanisms for forming a loop in the gum-med covering strip with the sides of the loop in substantially vertical planes and contiguous to each other, and means between the ends of the loop to contact with the gummed surfaces of its sides to separate them and prevent their curling.

4. In a machine of the class described,

means for gumming a covering strip, means for severing the gummed strip, means between the gumming and severing mechanisms for forming a loop in the gummed covering strip with the sides of the loop in substantially vertical planes and contiguous to each other, and vertically adjustable means between the ends of the loop to contact with the gummed surfaces of its sides to separate them and prevent their curling.

5. In a machine of the class described, a mechanism for forming a loop in a gummed fiopies of this opposite each other,

a frame inclosed by the 10 loop, a pair of rolls journaled in said frame,

and means for varying the position of said frame in said 100 Dated this 23d day of July 1912.

SAMUEL T. HOBBS,

Witnesses PENELOPE RtmUs B. FOWLER.

patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Com Washington, D. 0..

COMBERBAOH,

missioner of Patents, 

